Mick Wayne |
Where is JJ McCarthy going to get drafted? After the end of the college football season, fans knew that he was a winner. But was he anymore? Michigan’s championship run was certainly impressive, but it was clear that McCarthy was not the only force behind it. Harbaug’s scheme included him, but it was extremely dynamic and McCarthy was not demanded to do all that much. With running backs like Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, Michigan was able to generate more than enough offense by simply pounding the rock.
So, how have all of these factors impacted McCarthy’s stock? As NFL fans know, this QB class is pretty stacked. Caleb Williams is going one. He is the guy this year, and Bears fans could probably pre-order a jersey at this point. Then it gets a little dicey, many still think Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are 2a and 2b, but McCarthy’s name has certainly been rising. He made the plays when he had to, and won a national championship. Not to mention, now-Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has spoken incredibly higher than him, claiming that he thinks JJ is the best QB in the loaded class. On the flip side, many analysts still see McCarthy as a late first-rounder, but most likely the 4th QB off the board. Things get especially chippy after the third pick because the Cardinals already have their franchise QB. However, they have flexibility to trade down if a team is high on McCarthy like the Minnesota Vikings. Since no one knows where he will fall, teams may want to get ahead of the Giants—whose owner just gave the front office the green light to draft a QB if they fall in love. With all of the recent hype, I would be shocked to see McCarthy slip out of the top ten. Pre-draft hype often goes a long way. Take for example Anthony Richardson, who saw his stock boom right before the draft, thrusting him to become a top pick.
In my opinion, I don’t see McCarthy going top 5 unless a team that is desperate for a QB makes a trade-up (Minnesota). I also don’t see the Giants going all in. Their need for a tackle and WR help for Danny Dimes is far more important at the time. Especially considering the contract they owe him, you may as well put your faith in him for the time being. In addition, if he puts up another poor season, they will have the offensive line to work with if they draft a guy like Joe Alt. Or, they will have a bonafide WR1 in either Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, barring an unconventional stock tank of MHJ.
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